A Soothing Voice in a Sea of

[Varin]

Maybe Professor Drabik will be disappointed in me for being overly exuberant in my reflection of our last guest speaker, but in all honesty I was equally captivated and inspired by Ursula von Rydingsvard’s message and life story. I walked into Daniel Traub’s documentary Into Her Own without even the slightest expectation but was effectively left speechless by the burden and trauma endured by Ursula over many decades. I loved hearing her emphasize her connection to New York City, a place so deeply embedded into her Her story transcends time and space and instills a sense of yearning and ephemeral beauty. Her view of the concept of beauty was brutally honest: there is no true perception or confines of beauty, for it is an entirely subjective and dynamic phenomenon of human consciousness.

Ursula’s voice was very soothing and it made me appreciate her work even more. At first glance her sculptures are beyond explanation but as I slowly started to understand the moral ambiguities surrounding her motivation, I became intrigued. Her sculptures have been appreciated and touched by many people. In the absence of understanding lies a sense of self-identification. I was really shocked to hear Ursula encourage all of us to pursue our own passion without regard for what our friends and family have in mind. This is something essential that goes largely unnoticed in today’s world amidst all the pressure of discovering ourselves. Most memorable is the choice that Ursula was presented with in her life: whether to become victim to abuse and suffering or to radiate her anger towards creative energy. She chose the latter.

[Liam Lynch]

It was a real privilege to interact with someone so accomplished. Her life feels like such a complete story, and her art feels genuinely expressive of who she is. I think she inspired all of us, no matter where we are going in life, not to compromise, and to self-realize, no matter how hard and painful it can be.

[Author]

Posts